Tsay Cheng Restaurant

If you've been following my blog, you've probably noticed that I'm usually dining into Chinese restaurants, well as I've said before, my parents (though we're not Chinese) are fond of Chinese cuisine and growing up I've been into it as well.

Tsay Cheng is a newly opened restaurant in the old Grand Convention Center in Cebu. When we dined in a few weeks ago, they were still on their soft opening thus they didn't have the final menu for their entrees yet but based on the aura of the place, I like it because it was clean and the choice for wall colours was very neat and royal but I do wonder what their final menu looks like. Anyways, here are some of the photos that I took during our experience.

I really like their colour choices. It's too clean and homey. It's like Parisian chic in a Chinese setting. And they have function rooms for parties and meetings. Those cubicles on the sides are the rooms and are open for reservations.

We decided to try out the usual Chinese dishes that we order in other restaurants.

Sour Soup (something like that), it was delish. I love the sour after taste and I just love any Chinese soup for that matter. It was their chef's thingy so we try it out.

Yang Chow Fried Rice, ahhh! Their version is heaven. I just love it.

Beef with Broccoli, this is a personal favourite and I always end up trying this. I love the crispy vegetables and the taste of their beef. I somehow had the same taste as the ones I make.

US Scallops, I also love scallops but this dish was a bit blunt. I needed more colour and a little amp on the taste but it was healthy in a way.

Crabs of crabs. I think only Chinese people are the best when it comes to cooking this dish but was so so. Nothing beats the one in Singapore or the ones in Glorietta :)

The famous Patatim and it's bread but I think the bread was too dry and was soaked with oil. I didn't try the Patatim itself because I don't eat pork's meat but looking at it, it was cooked perfectly. Tender and soft.

Sweets!

Peppermint Tea Cooler, it was good but it smelled like spa. I can't help but remember the spas I've been to with the smell.

Mandarin Cheese Cake, the taste was that of the regular cheesecake but the serving was totally small in size.

Mango Panda, ahhh heaven! I rarely appreciate desserts cos I'm not a dessert person but I love this. I know it's too simple but it's really tasty.

Buchi, this is another personal Chinese tasty favourite and their version is wickedly fantastic. I love the fillings and I love everything on it.

It was a good experience. I think most Chinese restaurants that I've been to have that vibe that makes me go out satisfied and happy. Tsay Cheng is located at the lower level of the new Grand Convention building. 

Chen Fu Ji Modern Chinese Restaurant

Singapore is not only known to be Asia's shopping capital but it is also known for its Chilli Crabs and so off we went in search of a place. Based on tour tv shows, Jumbo was well known but upon going for a reservation, we were told that they were fully booked for the day thus we went into another place and we couldn't be more happier. 

Chen Fu Ji Modern Chinese Restaurant sits atop Jumbo at Clarke Quay with a really fantastic view of the River and the people passing by. Like I've said in my previous entry - Clarke Quay reminds me of Copenhagen Denmark :)

View from where, we were seated. Really nice :)

I like their menu. It offers a brief history of the restaurant and it has Chinese and English verses. 

The ambiance is obviously too oriental but I like it. It's basically an old space if I based it on the wall and floor structures and it has that old smell but it's too neat for a Chinese restaurant which is another bonus and here's my Mamma who's wearing the bib for messy eating thing.

So, the food. We ordered what we came for and some specials on the menu.

I forgot the named of this soup but it's their best seller as per the guy who assisted us and I must say IT IS A MUST. Too good for a soup. It had tomato and some spices I can't seem to distinguish but it was really good. For soup orders, it is per small bowl - so this serving is good for one person but since we were there to try it out, we shared it.

Hongkong Asparagus - if I remember it correctly. It was also cooked perfectly and the minimal sauce makes it worth munching. They have other vegetables fixes on the menu but this caught our attention.

Seafoods Fried Rice which was amazing. It had fish, crabs and shrimps. And the plus points is, it wasn't oily like those other fried rice served in most restaurants.

Roasted Chicken - also A MUST. I think that Chinese people are so good when it comes to preparing and cooking this dish. It is tender and precisely cooked and even without the sauce - it is perfection. They also serve Roasted Duck and Pig.

What we came for… HANDS DOWN! The freshest that I've tasted by far and though I'm allergic to crabs - I ate like a rockstar. It was that good. It was that perfect. This is a Sri Lankan crab cooked in Chilli Sauce and I can still taste the sweetness and chilliness of this dish. I must say, I'm hooked and would definitely look forward to dining back if I get to visit Singapore again. It basically knocked all expectations out. Apart from crabs, they also serve lobsters and other seafood specials. 

Photo op with the Chef. LOL. I think it is very important to appreciate these people who are behind the food that you eat on the table. Cooking can be learned but how your flavour it, is a gift that no one else can take away.

Main entrance.

All in all. It was a really good dining experience. Chen Fu Ji reminds me of my favourite Chinese restaurant in Makati, Philippines but what really makes CFJ special is that all their crew are nice and friendly and unlike other restaurants, they're all well behaved and serene. We ate like royalties if I must put it because probably we were the only ones who dined because it was January 1st :D Anyhow, I love it there. Maybe next time, I'll try the Malaysian crabs and lobsters and those other dishes on the menu. It's a bit pricey though. For our entire meal, we paid about 300sgd but it was worth it. 'Til next time though! Xiexie Chen Fu Ji! <3 p="">

China Town Foodie

OK. I have this slight problem for this entry. I basically forgot the name of the restaurant where we ate :D But one things for sure, it was at a mall in China Town :D

First stop is this rice with meat which I also saw on the streets of Saigon a few years back but never had the chance to taste it because it was only served in Pork and I don't eat Pork but this one's has different variants and I got to try and taste the Black Pepper Chicken thingy. It's wrapped in banana leaves and I think it was precooked before placed on the leaves :D 

Choice choices choices :D It's endless :D And it's for a really good price :)

The taste was so so. It was sweet and I'm not really a fan of sweet flavoured dishes. Sticky rice yes. :) They also sell other Chinese traditional food and the price is just right.

Next stop is a restaurant at B2 of the mall. Chinese Malay. And their specialty is Fish's Head Curry.

On top of the Fish head curry is roti. The sauce is really good. I think that when it comes to curry flavoured dishes, Singapore comes next to India :)

Sambal Kangkong. We also have this in Cebu in some restaurants.

Sweet 'n Sour Fish

Prawns

Seafoods fried rice.

All in all, it was a good meal. Their serving is just enough, so it doesn't force you to over eat anything. Price is averagely fine and service is good. There are still so much to explore at China Town but I my time was limited and I was with my parents but maybe if I was alone or with friends, I would dig deeper on the food scenes. :)

Modern China Restaurant

When in Manila, I always crave for some good tasting seafoods and I've got a personal favourite restaurant at the heart of Glorietta - Modern China Restaurant. I can't remember the exact year that we first dined in there but I can tell you, the experience is always fantastic. My favourite of them all is their lobster. Huge ones and whatever way it is cooked - it is grand. Their Chinese chef probably remembers our faces because we're the only ones who orders bulks orders without having to think of the price - I'm just lucky. 

Here are a photos of what we had last time. The lobster that they have in stock were small but it did well on my cravings. I'm used to getting the huge ones which looks like fiesta platter :D

'em lobsters :)

This is "lechon" with jelly fish. And yeah! I indulged on those white thing, thinking 'twas noodles but no - at the end of our feast - the waiter told me those were jelly fish and I suddenly wanted to cry.

Mushrooms overload. Apart from seafoods - I adore mushrooms :)

Grabs. My parents personal favourite - cooked in any way and they'll love you like a love song. I'm allergic to this as well as shrimps but I do eat tiny portions sometimes but it gets itchy all over, so I always eat with caution :)

And of course, my ultimate love - Lobsters with some serious noodles :D But I finished almost all of it :D 

'Twas a good meal from a restaurant that I will forever consider a second kitchen but they're expensive but have to say the price is right for the servings and service :) If you noticed, we usually eat out at Chinese restaurant, well, my family is pure Filipino but my parents are fond of Chinese cooking and because of that I've developed a since of appreciation for other none traditional Chinese sets :) The restaurant is located at the lower level of Glorietta 4, just on the right side of the mall entrance. It is beside/ below Bench Fix/Skin :) Try them out on your next food trip. 

Mandarin Chinese Restaurant

I'm a big fan of Chinese cuisines specially the streamed and fried chicken that they offer. Mandarin Restaurant had been around for some time in my area and even in other parts of the Philippines they're everywhere but never had the chance to dine until last Sunday and what surprised me is that the prices were all pocket friendly. 

The branch that we went to was at SM City Cebu and I must give them credit for having a clean space and really nice staff. What I like about Chinese restaurants is that most of them has open kitchens where you can see how they work and prepare your food. 

Here are a few shots of what we ate.

Beef Wanton Noodle Soup. YUM! This serving is for 86Php (if I'm not mistaken). They have other varieties for the noodles.

Seafoods Roll. A MUST TRY. I really like how they wrapped the Crab Sticks, Scallops, Shrimps and Fish with Sotanghon Noodles :) Since it is a Chinese Restaurant, it is of course expected that they offer other dimsum dishes that most people like like Siomai and those other fried dumplings.

My all time favourite appetiser :) Century Egg :D

Vegetable Roll. 

Plain Congee and they have other choices for this as well :)

It was a good dining experience. We also ordered their Fried Chicken for take away to which I forgot to take a photo of but it was - as expected a good yummy tasting chicken from a Chinese Restaurant. I would definitely dine back and try their other dishes one day. They're budget friendly and that definitely puts on a smile on my face.

PS the ambiance and taste of the food reminded me of some restos in Hongkong but of course, Mandarin was more spacious and a little organised :)